Rebecca Y. Bayeck

Abstract Title: “Making sense of classic African board games in the algorithmic era”

Games and gameplay have long been perceived as spaces of fun, where learning anything important to one’s daily life is irrelevant. Yet, in recent years, research has shown that games are learning spaces that deserve scholarly attention. The growing field of Game Studies has shown that playing games results in the acquisition of various literacies such as critical thinking, computational thinking, mathematical thinking, and strategic thinking which are critical for the twenty-first century. However, limited attention has been given to African games, and particularly to classic African board games. In this presentation, Bayeck engages the audience in a discussion about classic African board games, and wonders how we can make sense of these games in the algorithmic era.